BurmaNet News, October 21-23, 2006

[Editor]

October 21-23, 2006 Issue # 3071


INSIDE BURMA
AFP: Rare dissent as 400,000 sign petition to free Myanmar activists
DVB: Dr. Than Nyan is ill in Burma’s Prome Jail
DVB: Burmese legal experts and students demand release of leaders
AFP: Myanmar military leaders meet Chinese army chief
Financial Times: Desperate Burmese willing to settle for small change
Narinjara: Ethnic Youth Network Group complains junta's cultural program
non-inclusive
Xinhua: First S. Korean film festival to be launched in Myanmar

ON THE BORDER
IMNA: Thai New Prime Minister: “I will look after the Mon people in
Sangklaburi”

BUSINESS / TRADE
AFP: Myanmar's foreign trade to reach US$7 billion (euro5.6 billion) in
current fiscal year

REGIONAL
IMNA: Thai politicians concerned over restoration of democracy in Burma
IMNA: Thai-Burma Labour organizations work towards strong

INTERNATIONAL
AP: U.N. says Myanmar not probing abuses
DVB: France and Norway slam Burma on death of Thet Win Aung

OPINION / OTHER
Asian Tribune: Burma: A prison state at large?

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

October 23, Agence France Presse
Rare dissent as 400,000 sign petition to free Myanmar activists

More than 530,000 people have signed a petition calling for the release of
political prisoners in Myanmar, organisers said as the campaign came to a
close Monday.

The petition, a rare sign of dissent in this military-ruled nation, asked
the government to hold talks with the political opposition and to free the
nation's estimated 1,100 prisoners of conscience.

"We have got 535,580 signatures," pro-democracy activist Ant Bwe Kyaw said
after the campaign officially closed at 5 pm (1030 GMT) Monday.

"The signatures are still coming, it will be more than that... We think
that the signature campaign has been successful," he said, adding that
people from all over the country had put their names to the petition.

"We are planning to send these signatures to the United Nations. We would
like the secretary general of the United Nations to know about the
petition," he said. "We will also continue to do more peaceful actions to
move towards a democratic nation."

The petition campaign began on October 2 after six pro-democracy activists
were arrested, and has created a ripple in a country where the military
deals harshly with any public protests.

Myanmar's junta accused five of the detained activists of trying to incite
unrest late last month, as the UN Security Council held discussions on
trying to kickstart democratic reform in the country.
Kyaw Min Yu, another organiser of the petition, has previously said the
petition gave people a chance to participate in Myanmar, a country that
has been under military rule since 1962.
Organisers have kept the full names of many of the signatories off the
petition as they fear reprisals from the junta.

On Saturday, Win Ko, an activist involved with the petition and also a
member of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy party, was jailed for three years.

The authorities said he was imprisoned for possessing illegal lottery
vouchers, but fellow democracy campaigners believe it was because he
collected 480 signatures for the petition.

Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi is the most famous among the
country's political prisoners. She has spent more than a decade in
detention, and is currently under house arrest in Yangon.

International pressure has mounted recently over Myanmar's dismal human
rights record and repression of political opposition, including Aung San
Suu Kyi's arrest.

____________________________________

October 22, Democratic Voice of Burma
Dr. Than Nyan is ill in Burma’s Prome Jail

The condition of Rangoon Kyauktan Township National League for Democracy
(NLD) elected representative Dr. Than Nyein who is being detained at Prome
(Pyay) Jail, is said to be dire as he is not allowed to receive medical
treatments, according to his wife Khin Aye.

Than Nyein has been suffering from high blood pressure, urinary and
gastric diseases, Khin Aye who recently visited her husband at the jail in
lower central Burma told DVB. She added that as healthcare inside the jail
is very poor and Than Nyein is not allowed to receive proper treatments
outside, she is afraid that her aged husband who meet the same fate that
of 34-year-old student leader Thet Win Aung who suddenly died at Mandalay
Jail on 16 October.

“When I heard about Thet Win Aung, I was very disturbed. The reason being,
as far as we know, many political prisoners are having poor health in
respective jails. Although some of them are ill, their folks from home
could not come and see them. As I have heard this kind of thing, I am very
worried for uncle (my husband) as he has been suffering from combined
illnesses for two years.”

Than Nyein was arrested in 1997 and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment
for arranging a public rally for Aung San Suu Kyi at nearby Mayangone
Township. After his sentence expired, the authorities extended it
repeatedly with Act - 10A and he staged a hunger strike. He was
transferred from Rangoon Isein Jail to Tharawaddy Jail, from there to
Paungde and later to Prome Jial where is now being detained arbitrarily.

____________________________________

October 20, Democratic Voice of Burma
Burmese legal experts and students demand release of leaders

It has been three weeks since five 88 Generation Student leaders were
taken away by the Burmese authorities and held incommunicado with the
excuse of holding discussions with them and that it was time they’re
released, Burmese student leaders and legal experts insisted.

Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Htay Kywe were detained on 27 September and
Min Zeya and Pyone Cho, a couple of days later, and it is not known where
they are being detained, why they were detained, when they would be
allowed to see their family members and lawyers if they are to be charged
etc.

“It has been nearly a month since they summoned and detained our five
friends,” said one of 88 Generation Students Jimmy, a.k.a., Kyaw Min Yuu
told DVB. “They (the authorities) are using terms such as ‘detained for
discussions or interrogation’, et cetera, but for us they are simply being
arrested/detained, and it is a lawless act.

Whether they were ‘summoned for discussions’ or ‘detained for
interrogation’, they are entitled to (protection of) the existing laws and
they must be allowed to have contacts with their families. And they must
be given the things they need. They must be allowed to be met. These are
shown in the existing laws. They should be given remands (granted bails?),
but they are not doing so. And they don’t say that they are being
detained.

They are using and changing words such as they are being ‘interrogated’.
But what’s sure is, they need to respect the law they themselves enacted.
Another thing, the condition with which they are being detained is not
suitable. If they are to release them, release them. As they are innocent,
we want them to be released.”

A seasoned Burmese lawyer Thein Nyunt and elected representative (MP) also
pointed out that the existing law stipulates that if a person is arrested
without the order of a judge, he/she must not be detained more than 24
hours.

“If he is arrested, in accordance with the charge he is being detained
with, he can take a 14 days’ remand if (the likely sentence?) is under
seven years. If it is over seven years, he can take a one month’s remand.
After that, the remand could not be extended. You have to send him to the
court with the charge. Even if he is remanded, he is effectively detained,
or if the extended remand is not in accordance with the law, you have to
argue it in front of a judge. These are the things allowed by the law.”

When asked under which law the student leaders are likely to be detained,
Thein Myunt replied:

“According to the news conference’s statement, they (student leaders) are
being interrogated. It was not said with which charges they were
interrogated and investigated. But there is one of our experiences. In
(19)98, they detained us elected representatives for 2 years and 10 months
at Yemon ‘guesthouse’ (army cantonment) for discussions. At the time,
there was no warrant against us either. They took us away and kept us well
in the guesthouse. They told the nation through the news statements that
we were detained for discussions. On this matter, there was no discussion
with us. Five months after the arrest, they allowed us to stay in our
house for a night and continued to detain us. We had the experience of
being detained with the excuse of holding discussions on matters outside
the legal boundaries.”

____________________________________

October 23, Agence France Presse
Myanmar military leaders meet Chinese army chief

Myanmar's military leaders including junta head Than Shwe met with Chinese
army chief of staff General Liang Guanglie in the new administrative
capital Nay Pyi Taw, state media said Monday.
The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said that Liang led a Chinese
delegation on a goodwill visit to the compound in central Myanmar on
Sunday.

Liang was invited by Myanmar's Vice Senior General Maung Aye, the paper
said, but it did not elaborate on what was discussed or what prompted the
visit.

China is Myanmar's closest ally and a major trading partner, and the two
nations enjoy strong military ties.

China has helped construct naval bases in Myanmar, which sits on the Bay
of Bengal and the Andaman Sea near a strategic global shipping lane.

Trade with China is vital for Myanmar's rulers amid enduring Western
economic sanctions and increasing international isolation over human
rights abuses and the lack of democracy in the country.

The United States has been pushing for more punitive action by the United
Nations, arguing that drug trafficking, refugees, rights abuses and a
growing AIDS problem in Myanmar represent a threat to international peace
and security.

However China would likely veto any UN resolution against Myanmar, which
has been under military rule since 1962.

____________________________________

October 21, Financial Times
Desperate Burmese willing to settle for small change - Amy Kazmin

A constitution-writing process that has been dismissed as a sham is seen
by many as being better than nothing

At a tightly guarded, sprawling compound near Rangoon, more than 1,000
people chosen by Burma's ruling junta gathered last week to begin what has
become an annual ritual: months of talks on a new constitution for the
ethnically diverse, impoverished country.

The regime touts its national convention as a first step towards
establishing what it calls a "disciplined democracy" with an elected
parliament and state legislatures to follow decades of repressive military
rule. The constitution-writing process, which began in the early 1990s,
was revived after nearly a decade's suspension in 2004 amid intense
international pressure on the junta to undertake political reform.

Neither Burma's friends nor its critics are impressed. With Aung San Suu
Kyi, the Nobel peace prize-winning pro-democracy leader, under house
arrest and her National League for Democracy boycotting the talks, western
governments, United Nations officials and Burmese political exiles have
dismissed the convention as a sham rather than an inclusive, substantive
and credible debate on the country's political future.

But with the regime hinting that the sitting of the delegates could be the
last, Burmese citizens, as well as diplomats and aid workers, are
considering what impact the constitution could have on a country where
decades of isolation and erratic rule by unaccountable leaders have
created government paralysis, economic stagnation, pervasive fear and a
humanitarian crisis.

"Any movement, no matter how unsatisfactory and bogus it is, would be
better than this," says one diplomat. "Nothing is worse than what we are
going through."

The regime's most vociferous critics, bitter after years of repression and
misrule, say they have no illusions about what they call simply an
exercise to legalise and entrench military power.
"I don't think anything good will come out of the national convention,"
says Ludu Sein Win, a veteran journalist and commentator. "We have been
cheated many times like this."

Scepticism about the generals' intentions to relax their tight control or
allow free public discourse has been rein-forced by the arrests last month
of five leaders of a 1988 pro-democracy student uprising, and long prison
sentences handed down last year to eight top political leaders of the
ethnic Shan, one of the largest minority groups.

Some people, though, either out of genuine hope or sheer desperation, say
the adoption of the constitution, no matter how flawed, could lead to more
rational governance, potentially an improvement on arbitrary policies and
top-down decision-making.

"Some people are still expecting the too good to be true scenario . . .
which is that the military will just disappear," says one analyst. "If it
happens, great. But I don't think it will happen in the next 10 years."

With a constitution, "at least we can have a strong legal opposition that
can pronounce the weak points of the government. Getting a strong
opposition would be better than living in a country ruled without rules".

The outline of the new constitution is hardly that of a fully fledged
democracy. The draft would enshrine the military's right to 25 per cent of
the seats in national and state legislatures - a provision Brig-Gen Kyaw
Hsan, information minister, says is necessary to ensure the military could
"settle disputes" in the legislatures.

In addition, the military will be shielded from civilian scrutiny of its
operations, budget or procurement practices, and could declare a state of
emergency at will. The president would need "in depth" knowledge of
military affairs, essentially limiting candidates for the powerful
position to those with military background.

Many Burmese expect Senior-General Than Shwe, whose stamp is on most
decisions, to become civilian head of state, just as Ne Win, Burma's late
long-time former dictator, did.
"Twenty-five per cent is just a number," says Ludu Sein Win. "They will
control 95 per cent of state power, and parliament can do nothing without
the agreement of the generals. Gen Than Shwe will hand power to Mr Than
Shwe."

Ethnic minority political organisations - many fought the regime for
decades before ceasefires in the 1990s - are said to be frustrated that
the constitution does not offer them greater cultural and political
autonomy. But a community development worker with close links to ethnic
groups says they are unlikely to resume their armed struggle.

"If the constitution comes, whatever is offered, we will take," he says.
"It may not be democratic change but it will be some change. That is what
we are hoping."

____________________________________

October 23, Narinjara News
Ethnic Youth Network Group complains junta's cultural program non-inclusive

The Ethnic Youth Network Group (EYNG), a Thailand based network of Burmese
ethnic youth groups, criticized the junta's annual Burmese cultural
competition program for a lack of minority ethnic cultural traditions, in
an open letter to the junta on October 19.

The EYNG points out that the name "Myanmar" is claimed to be inclusive of
all the ethnicities of Burma, not just the dominant Burman ethnic group.
While the cultural program is titled "Myanmar", it has only the
traditional cultural components of the Burman ethnicity. Members of other
ethnic groups are required to perform Burman traditions as if they were
their own, rather than their true cultural traditions.

The cultural program is currently being held in Burma's new capital, Kyat
Pyay Nay Pyi Daw, and includes competitions in singing, dancing,
song-writing, and instrumental performances, all taken from traditional
Burman culture. Cultural performances from other ethnic groups are not
included in the competition, and EYNG points out that this lack of
inclusiveness amounts to cultural domination and an effort to erase other
ethnic traditions.

In the letter, members of the EYNG say that they have no objection to the
government's promotion of ethnic Burman traditions in the face of foreign
cultural invasion, but they also want to see protection of the culture and
traditions of ethnic minorities from the invasion of Burman culture.

They demanded that other ethnic cultural traditions be included in the
dance. To make other ethnic people perform the Burman traditions as their
own is an insult to the other ethnic groups. EYNG, based in Chiang Mai, is
an umbrella organization for non-Burman ethnic nationalities youth groups.

____________________________________

October 23, Xinhua General News Service
First S. Korean film festival to be launched in Myanmar

A first-ever South Korean film festival will be launched here in the
second week of November to introduce South Korean feature films to the
Myanmar audiences, according to sources with the South Korean Embassy
here.

At the four-day festival beginning Nov. 10, four selected South Korean
feature films with Myanmar sub-titles will be screened at the famous
Thamada (President) Cinema in Yangon, said the sources.

These films are "Joint Security Area", " Art Museum by the Zou", "Just Do
It" and "My Sassy Girl", the sources added.

South Korean TV series were first telecast by the Myawaddy TV of Myanmar
in 2002 and since then South Korean artists have become popular in
Myanmar.

In July 2005, a week-long Myanmar-Korean contemporary art show  took place
here to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment  of diplomatic
relations between Myanmar and South Korea,  displaying classical and
modern works of artists of the two  countries with different views based
on Eastern culture. The Myanmar side exhibits 23 works of artists, while
the South Korean side 52.

In September the same year, South Korean stars including Kim Jae Won and
involving three singing star groups -- the Cross, Baby Vox and Wawa --
gave performances in Yangon as part of their ASEAN tour to mark the 15th
anniversary of South Korea-ASEAN dialogue  partnership..

Both activities provided opportunities for Myanmar audiences to have
direct access to South Korean artists thus creating better understanding
between the peoples of the two countries and enhanced bilateral
friendship, local artists said.

Myanmar and South Korea share a common experience in nurturing a
distinctive culture on the basis of tradition and creative adoption and
digestion of foreign cultural influences, the artists noted.

Myanmar and South Korea forged diplomatic links in 1975 and the two
countries have maintained continued co-operative relations in various
areas including cultural, economic, technical cooperation.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

October 22, Independent Mon News Agency
Thai New Prime Minister: “I will look after the Mon people in Sangklaburi”
- Banyol Kin

Thai New Prime Minster Surayud Chulanont said he will look after Mon
people after the Abbot Rev. Uttama passed away. He is one of the Abbot’s
follower and believes in the abbot when he was during in military barrack.

Thai New Prime Minster Surayud Chulanont interviewed by IMNA said,
"Luangphaw (Abbot) extended his kindness to me. Thais and Mons are not
distant cousins, we have to take care each other. Although Laungphaw is no
longer in existence, I will continue to take care of the Mon people."

He keeps this promise when he pays a respect to Rev. Uttama today who
passed away after 5 days. Amid he is busy with many government duties he
arrived to to Wengka Mon village in Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi Province
Thailand as a faithful follower to Mon Abbot. He directly flied from
troubled southern Thailand today.

Thousands of Mon people, Thai authorities and residents in Sangkhlaburi
welcomed him warmly and the Mon people also performed their traditional
‘Kathon’ ceremony after the Buddhist Lent.

Most Mon people who live in Sangklaburi are worrying for their security
and future to live on in Thailand after their leader, Abbot passed away.

His followers are in mourning and are grief struck in Thailand because
they lost a leader who provided shelter to Mon people from Burma for many
decades. He had a tremendous Mitta (loving) influence on the Thai people,
said a Buddhist monk, Talagon Nee, who wrote a biography for the Abbot.

Thai University professor Cholthira Satyawadhna, Director Center of
Thai-Asian Studies, Rangsit Research Institute send a mourning letter to
encourage Mon community in Sangklaburi. "It may be understandable that all
members of the Mon community at Sankhlaburi have felt loss and had great
concern on their future. Please do believe in your virtue, all the virtual
and cultural heritage plus with his wisdom, way of thought, both strategy
and tactics that you have learned from Luang Phaw would encourage and
empower your community to be safe and sound, if you all could make use of
them in the right and wise way".

The royal families sent ‘well wish water’ to clean up ‘Abbot’ body on
October 19. Then the monastery authorities opened for his followers to pay
respects since then. Everyday, thousands of people from central Thailand
and from southern Burma have come and paid respects to him.

Abbot Uttama took refuge in Thailand soon after Burma’s independence when
civil war intensified and fighting began between the 'central government'
and 'Ethnic Nationalities, like the Mon and Karen'.

He established the Wengka Mon village with a few followers in 1956. He
received thousands of Mon refugees who fled from the war under and gave
them shelter till 1990 with the help of the Thai authorities.

He also gave a lot of social support to the Thai government by
establishing schools, hospitals and clinics, bridges, and roads.

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

October 22, Agence France Presse
Myanmar's foreign trade to reach US$7 billion (euro5.6 billion) in current
fiscal year

Myanmar's total foreign trade is expected to reach US$7 billion (euro5.6
billion) in the current 2006-2007 fiscal year, an increase of about 27
percent compared to the previous year, state-run media said Sunday.

Speaking Saturday at a meeting with businessmen at the new administrative
capital Naypyidaw, Prime Minister Gen. Soe Win said Myanmar's trade volume
has increased since 2002-2003.

According to recent official statistics, trade for 2005-2006 totaled
US$5.54 billion (euro4.4 billion) compared to US$4.83 billion the previous
year, and the country saw a trade surplus of US$1.6 billion (euro1.3
billion).

Myanmar's financial year begins on April 1, and ends March 31.

Soe Win said the government has created better opportunities for trade
development and adopted international practices to improve the trading
system, the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

He also warned businessmen to refrain from bribing corrupt officials, and
to carry out business dealings not only for their own ends but also in the
country's interest.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

October 23, Independent Mon News Agency
Thai politicians concerned over restoration of democracy in Burma - Sar Nyi

Many Thais are concerned about restoration of democracy in Burma and to
link it with democratic activities internationally.

This came to the fore at a convention organised by the Thai Action
Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB), in Thammsat University, Thailand
yesterday. Many of the young generation joined the convention.

People in Burma are thirsting for democracy living as they do under
oppressive military rule where there are no human rights, no freedom and
no justice.

"We all need to join hands to fight the military government who grabbed
power from citizens in Burma," said a Thai politician at the convention.

Thailand being one of the most important neighbours of Burma, the more the
Thai people are concerned about democracy in Burma, the more momentum will
the movement to fight the military dictatorship get, he added.

"It is positive thinking because many Thai politicians are now really
concerned about restoration of democracy in Burma. Besides, I am pleased
with our young Burmese generation who have joined the convention and
shared their views," said U Myint Cho, a member of the National Coalition
Government of the Union of Burma’s (NCGUB) foreign committee.

Unlike our neighbours India and China, people in Thailand are more
interested in the movement for democracy in Burma.

"We can say the situation is very good. It would be better for us if more
Thai people become interested in our struggle. Also we could change most
Thai people’s historical belief that lead to viewing Burmese people
negatively," said U Sann Aung.

This kind of discussions by Thais and Burmese politicians' on democracy in
Burma should be held regularly. The positive side is that more and more
people are coming to join such meetings.

"In future, we hope to get together as in this convention and try to
present different views. I strongly believe that we can find the best
answers from among different ideas on restoration of democracy in Burma,"
U Myint Cho added.

____________________________________

October 23, Independent Mon News Agency
Thai-Burma Labour organizations work towards strong - Sar Nyi

Disparate workers organizations in Thailand have decided to establish a
strong workers’ union to protect the rights of workers. This was decided
at the "Convention of Global Solidarity".

Under the banner, Thai Social Forum, the Thai Action Committee for
Democracy in Burma (TACDB) organized the convention. Thai and Burmese
organizations took part in discussions, in Thammasat University in
Thailand on Saturday, on issues concerning migrant workers and their
rights.

Many Thai workers' organizations like the Songsirm Thai Textile Labour
Union and some Burmese organizations like Yaung Chi Oo Workers
Association, shared their knowledge, views and experiences with workers,
working without their rights being upheld. The discussions mostly focused
on how to solve the problems, including gaining their rights, and removing
the discrimination between Thai and Burmese workers in terms of salaries.

"We need to build a strong labour union, instead of fighting alone. We
must organize ourselves. Currently our strength is being used by business
men for huge profits," said the secretary of the Songsirm Thai Textile
Labour Union who attended the conference.

Besides the convention also discussed ways to change the beliefs of most
Thai people who hate Burmese migrant workers given the historic events
between the two countries. Most Thai workers believe that they are losing
lose their jobs to Burmese migrant workers.

"We need to change these ideas and thoughts, and need to understand each
other. Actually, the Burmese workers take up jobs that most Thai people do
not do," pointed out a Thai social activist attending the convention.

This meeting shows the team work of Thai and Burmese social activists and
will create a positive situation for all workers, he added.

"There is cooperation. If Thai and Burmese organizations work hand in
hand, we can surely change the lives of the workers," said Dr. Sann Aung,
member of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma.

The discussion has speeded up social activities. "We had organized two
small discussions earlier which were similar to this meeting, but I am
more satisfied with this one because many organizations have joined us
this time," said Ko Myint Wai, the member of (TACDB).

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

October 21, Associated Press
U.N. says Myanmar not probing abuses - Edith Lederer

Myanmar's military government refuses to investigate widespread human
rights abuses including summary executions, torture and forced labor, the
U.N. special investigator for human rights in the country said in a report
circulated Friday.

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said this "culture of impunity" remains the main
obstacle to securing respect for human rights in Myanmar. Sexual violence
and recruitment of child soldiers were among other abuses he cited.

"These violations have not been investigated and their authors have not
been prosecuted," he said. "Victims have not been in a position to assert
their rights and receive a fair and effective remedy."

Among those who have committed serious human rights violations but have
not been prosecuted are members of the military, he said.

In the 19-page report to the U.N. General Assembly covering the period
from February to September, Pinheiro said the situation for democracy and
human rights advocates has worsened and military operations in ethnic
areas have increased with the apparent aim of taking over land and forcing
thousands to flee their homes.

"Given the scale of the current military campaign, the situation may lead
to a humanitarian crisis if it is not addressed immediately," he warned.

The government in Myanmar, formerly called Burma, has refused to allow
Pinheiro to visit since 2003. But he said he obtained information on the
human rights situation from a variety of independent and reliable sources.

Myanmar's U.N. Mission said no one was available to comment on the report.

Myanmar's junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement
led by Aung San Suu Kyi. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu
Kyi's political party won a landslide election victory. Suu Kyi, a Nobel
Peace Prize winner, has spent nearly 11 of the last 17 years in detention,
mostly under house arrest and is the country's most prominent political
prisoner.

At the end of August, the number of political prisoners was estimated at
1,185, a figure that does not include numerous prisoners reportedly
detained in ethnic areas and secret jails, Pinheiro said.

His report highlighted the continued imprisonment of poet and editor U Win
Tin, who spent his 76th birthday in a prison cell in Yangon last March,
and is now the longest-serving political prisoner in Myanmar. First jailed
in 1989, his sentence has been extended three times, most recently for
writing a letter to the U.N. regarding the ill-treatment and poor
conditions of political prisoners, Pinheiro said.

The U.N. investigator said he was "extremely worried" at allegations that
1,038 members of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy were forced to
resign since April "following various forms of intimidation and threats."

The government also continues to severely restrict freedom of movement,
expression and assembly, he said.

The regime claimed last month that a seven-step plan to return to
democracy was taking effect. The junta said the country's National
Convention to write a new constitution is the first step toward democracy
that is supposed to lead to free elections though after nearly three years
no timetable has been set to complete the task.

Pinheiro accused the government of disregarding U.N. recommendations to
include Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and ethnic parties in the
process of drafting a new constitution.

He also expressed "grave concern" at the recent announcement by the Union
Solidarity and Development Association, a government sponsored body that
calls itself a social organization and wields enormous authority. He said
the group intends to become a political party and run for the next
election.

There is a perception among many observers, Pinheiro said, that the
association "is being used to legitimize a transition from a military
regime to a civilian government that is not genuine." These allegations
also raise serious questions about the regime's "political will ... toward
a legitimate democratization process in Myanmar," he said.

____________________________________

October 21, Democratic Voice of Burma
France and Norway slam Burma on death of Thet Win Aung

The Norwegian and French governments on Friday denounced Burma’s military
junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) over the untimely
death of 34-year-old pro-democracy activist Thet Win Aung at Mandalay Jail
on 16 October.

"The news of the death of the political prisoner Thet Win Aung in a
Burmese prison this week is disturbing," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas
Gahr Stoere said in a statement. "The student leaders' – Min Ko Naing, Ko
Ko Gyi, Htay Kywe, Min Zeya, Pyone Cho, and Myint Aye arrested in
September – courageous struggle for a democratic Burma should be taken as
an invitation to dialogue with the authorities”.

Thet Win Aung had died in prison where he was tortured and may have been
denied treatment for health problems, including malaria. He had been
sentenced to 59 years in prison in 1998 for his part in organising student
demonstrations that called for improvements to schools and the release of
political prisoners.

Similarly, the French government said that it held the Burmese authorities
responsible for the death of Thet Win Aung, calling for the release of all
political prisoners.

"We learnt with sadness of the death in prison of Thet Win Aung. France
holds the Burmese junta responsible for the deterioration of the health of
this opposition figure," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
"More than ever, France demands that the junta immediately and
unconditionally release all other political prisoners to pave the way for
a genuine process of dialogue and national reconciliation in Burma."

The United Nations estimates that some 1,100 political prisoners are held
in Burma. The most famous of them is Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi, the leader of the pro-democracy opposition, who has spent more than a
decade under house arrest.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

October 23, Asian Tribune
Burma: A prison state at large? - Zin Linn

People of Burma were shocked by the sudden death of a 34-year old student
leader Thet Wing Aung in Mandalay prison. He had played an active role in
the 1988 anti-military demonstrations. Arrested in 1998, Thet Win was
'awarded' a 59-year jail term. As his health deteriorated in recent months
appeals went out from all over the world from the United Nations to the
Amnesty International and human rights groups to junta to spare the life
of this promising young man.

The Junta turned a deaf ear and according to informed sources, his end
came in his cell on 16 October 2006. He had completed just eight years of
his sentence by then. This very fact is by itself a telling commentary on
the conditions in the Myanmar jails. Since the present regime seized
power, the country has become a prison- state. A hundred and thirty
political prisoners, including Members of Parliament and journalists
became martyrs to the jails.

The military junta has repeatedly declined to release of political
prisoners. In that sense, what it did in respect of Thet Wing Aung was not
an exception. It is a part of the pattern people of Burma have become
familiar with over the years. Of late, the Junta is throwing into the jail
anyone speaking his or her mind on, for and about national reconciliation.

Recently, on 27 September, the military arrested three prominent 1988
student leaders - Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Htay Kywe. By inquiring
about their fate, two others found themselves jailed as well. They - both
formerly student leaders, Min Zeya and Pyone Cho - were picked up from
their homes on 30 September, a day after they wrote to the junta chairman
inquiring about them status of the three student-activists.

These arrests violate Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and challenges the decisions made by the UN sitting at the
dialogue-table in order to settle the Burma Issue. But who cares in
Rangoon for such niceties.

Any announcement made by the military regime concerning national
reconciliation will continue to be meaningless unless there is political
space for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD and the representatives-elect of the
ethnic parties. This means the Nobel laureate and the ethnic leaders must
be released from detention and must be free to travel and communicate with
members and supporters.

The Burmese people have not been allowed to participate in the nation's
political processes. The junta must take the voice of the people into
account in any process of political reform in Burma. At the same time, it
should not discard the result of the 1990 general elections in which
people made clear their desires for the future.

Today, Burma has been going through a terrible ordeal under the unrivaled
military dictatorship of the century. The situation has gotten worse to
worst these days. Its spill over affects - drugs, illegal migrants,
refugees, human trafficking and AIDS – undermine the regional stability in
various ways.

Oppression aimed at annihilating the existence of opposition parties,
students and workers unions continues. Members of legal political parties
are being prohibited from meeting and traveling in their own country. The
goodwill expressions of the people – such as signature-campaign – are
severely suppressed.

The economy is taking a direct hit of this misrule. It is not wrong to say
a humanitarian crisis with food scarcity spreading across the country.
Rice is the staple food of the people of Burma. With rice bags fast
disappearing from the shops, the spectre of soaring prices is looming
large. It is bad news for the junta and they are bound to lose sleep if
the prices keep skyrocketing; the possibility of a social breakdown is
also becoming real with each passing day.

Readers of "Asian Tribune" may recall that sparks that fuelled the
protests against the military regime in 1988 were provided by the soaring
prices of the staple food and other basic commodities. Will history
repeat? Well, history has a tendency to repeat if we go by the sharply
increasing rice prices across Burma these days.

A bag of low-quality rice which was about $8 early this year is now $15
and one viss (3.6 pounds) of onion, which cost the equivalent of $0.30 is
now $1.50. Grocery store owners predict that prices would continue
increasing as cost of transportation has gone up.

Burma faces constant fuel shortages due to limited domestic oil production
and tight foreign exchange reserves. It has had a rationing system since
the Ne Win era, allowing motor-vehicles owners to purchase 60 gallons per
month. Vehicle owners who do not fully use their fuel sell their quotas to
black-market vendors, who in turn sell it to other needy drivers.

Currently, the junta is taking measures to check price spiral. Three
commodity price control committees, representing the country's three
regions - the central, upper and lower parts, have been established; these
are seeking ways to bring down the commodity prices. But it seems a vain
attempt.

In the eighteen years since the nation-wide civil uprising in 1988, little
progress has been made in the areas of democracy and human rights in
Burma. The UN Special Rapporteur Prof Paulo Sergio Pinheiro has repeatedly
criticized Burma's Junta, saying its political reforms are moving at
snail's pace. His suggestion to the Generals: speed up change and free all
political prisoners as a gesture of sincerity. The Professor's advice has
no takers as of now amongst the Junta.

The Special Rapporteur in his Sept 21, 2006 report opined that impunity is
one of the main underlying causes of the degrading economic and social
conditions of farmers who represent the majority of the population of
Myanmar. The militarization of rural areas has created a vicious circle of
impoverishment of villagers.

While the number of army battalions has gone up in the past 25 years, no
corresponding attention was to improve by the same proportion the lot of
the poor villagers and urban daily wage earners. What is more the so
called self-reliance policies adopted by the local military contributed to
undermine the rule of law at the expense of the livelihoods of local
communities.

SPDC continued to impose severe restrictions on freedom of movement
freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of assembly.
Special Rapporteur received several complaints that the regime was
cracking down on initiatives by people to organize themselves even for
non-political purposes, such as fighting against the HIV/AIDS.

Remarks Prof Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, "If the Government of Myanmar resumes,
without further delay, dialogue with all political actors, including NLD
and representatives of all ethnic groups to complete the drafting of the
Constitution, the International Community would be in a better position to
recognize the democratic legitimacy of a constitutional framework to be
built on Myanmar people's aspirations."

The launching of a concerted effort among international community to free
political prisoners in Burma is laudable. This issue is not only
intertwined with regional politics, but it is also connected with global
humanitarianism. For that reason, world leaders should consider pressuring
the SPDC to free all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.
The international community, especially Japan, China, India and ASEAN,
shouldn't put up with the military dictatorship in Burma any longer.

Zin Linn - The author, a former Burmese political prisoner, is a freelance
journalist, and an executive member of the Burma Media Association, which
is affiliated with the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontiers. At present he
is living in exile.